Summary: This episode is part of our Celebrating Black History Month podcast series where students in the Sustainable Urban Planning program at the George Washington University interview Black and African American planners and urbanists. In this episode, graduate student Ugonna Njeze interviews Lakeshia Wright, AICP, on what equitable urban planning looks like and how to support people of color in the field of urban planning. They discuss skills planners can add to their equity toolkits to promote meaningful change for minority communities. Lakeshia shares her personal journey as a woman of color in the field of urban planning, providing insights on finding joy, overcoming barriers, and using your voice. Highlights from the Conversation: Career milestones Understanding unconscious biases and cognitive dissonance Navigating contentious topics Inclusive urbanism Challenging the silo mentality Creating a culture of respect Building your network Advice for emerging professionals Impacts of technology on people of color Guest Mini Bio: Lakeshia Wright, AICP, is an urban planner, UX researcher, and data disrupter currently working as a senior UX researcher and strategist at Happy Cog. Connect with her on LinkedIn or get in touch via email. Learn More! On biases: 2021 American Planning Association (APA) blog: The Continued Challenges of Bias and Discrimination Within Planning Education Equitable urban development case studies: APA’s Equity in Practice Using data and technology for equitable planning: Greenlink Equity Map: Community of Practice Credits: A special thanks to guest speaker Lakeshia Wright Interview by Ugonna Njeze Intro and outro by Alex Davis Produced by Reagan Smith

Summary: This episode is part of our Celebrating Black History Month podcast series where students in the Sustainable Urban Planning program at George Washington University interview Black and African American planners and urbanists. In this episode, grad student Courtney Carothers interviews alumna Allie Thompson on environmental and climate justice and the impacts on communities of color. They discuss the struggles and triumphs of being a woman of color in the field of urban planning and strategies for self-care. Allie offers powerful advice for combatting imposter syndrome and prioritizing mental health as well as the importance of finding your passion, building your network, and connecting to a mentor.    Highlights from the Conversation: Climanomics – The Economic Impacts of Climate Change Climate Risk Supporting Communities of Color Environmental Justice Transportation Planning and Gentrification Representation and STEM Inspiring and Supporting Black and Brown Girls in Science Meteorology and Climate Threats Equity versus Equality Addressing the Disconnect between Policy Makers and Community Needs Guest Mini Bio: Allie Thompson is an alum of the GWU Sustainable Urban Planning program, and now works as a project lead at the tech start-up The Climate Service. Follow her on Linkedin. Her recommendations to students and emerging planners include: Find a mentor, build a support system and network. Apply for jobs even when you do not meet all the requirements. Build and earn trust, do overcommunicate, but do not overpromise what the city can provide. Learn More! Check out The Climate Service. Learn more about The Climate Service's Climanomics® Learn more about The American Planning Association (APA) and become a member! Learn more about Equity scores from the Climate Equity Reference Project and The USC Center for Urban Education. Credits: A special thanks to Allie Thompson! Interviewer: Courtney Carothers  Organized and Co-Produced by: Alex Davis Intro and Outro voice: Alex Davis Produced by: Raven Nee  

This episode is part of our Celebrating Black History Month podcast series where students in the Sustainable Urban Planning program at George Washington University interview Black and African American planners and urbanists. In this episode, graduate student Arielle Lofton interviews Desiree “Dee” Powell about her experiences in the field and how to ethically and equitable engage Black and Brown communities in placemaking. They discuss the historic inequities in urban planning and the current issues and threats to communities of color, as well as personal experiences and strategies to advocate for equity and inclusion.  From food trucks and food deserts to public speaking and software programs, Dee gives powerful advice for emerging and established planners alike, emphasizing the importance of listening.

In this episode, Mel Pennett and Alex Davis interview Madeline Brozen on aspects of park equity and making parks inclusive for seniors. Madeline is the Deputy Director of the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies at the Luskin School of Public Affairs and co-wrote a report detailing guidelines for making inclusive parks for elderly and aging populations. They discuss the importance of design, perception, and the surrounding demographics to make parks inclusive, equitable, and fun places for not just the elderly, but everyone!

In this episode, Raven Nee and Helen Solomon interview Mathew Clarke, the director at the Design Trust for Public Land. They discuss equity and community engagement, as well as the underlying power dynamics that shape traditional modes of engagement. They break down the historic paradigms and challenge the meaning of community engagement. They discuss a park in Wenatchee, Washington as an example of building community power and the unexpected outcomes that come from a participatory and equitable process. Tune in to hear more about equitable community engagement in parks!

In this episode, Joy McFadden and Garrett Johnson interview Maija Spencer who works for Portland Parks and Recreation as the parks replacement bond community engagement coordinator. They discuss how parks engage communities and develop cultural competency in a meaningful way to create more inclusive and representative parks, including how to learn from a city’s history to honor overlooked heros. Tune in to hear the whole conversation!

In this episode, Mel Pennett and Alex Davis interview Bates McKinney to talk about inclusive programming for older adults. They discuss equity in access and the needs of senior citizens and how to create programming that keeps elderly adults active and engaged both mentally and physically. The importance of community and social connection (especially during a pandemic) reveals how central community centers are for keeping individuals healthy and socially engaged. Tune in to hear the whole conversation.

In this episode, Helen Solomon and Raven Nee interview the director of the National Charrette Institute, Holly Madill, on the charrette process and how it is used for community engagement. They discuss designing and defining equitable community engagement, how to measure success, how to prevent underrepresented communities from being left out of planning processes, and explore in depth how a charrette framework helps create an equitable and inclusive outcome. Tune in to hear more about what goes into a charrette and how it can be used in park planning!

In this episode, Joy McFadden and Garrett Johnson interview Kyra Gmoser-Daskalakis and Britta McOmber who wrote a report on park usership for the Santa Monica National Park. They discuss the importance of understanding the diverse backgrounds and needs of park goers and the various barriers that prevent lower income residents from utilizing and enjoying parks and open space. Tune in to hear the full conversation on the importance of access and representation!

The first season of SUP GW? is brought to you by fall 2020 semester’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) class. This class explored how equity, justice, diversity, and inclusion can be implemented within Parks and Urban Planning. Three groups of students chose thought leaders who specialized in an area of equity planning and interviewed them on current issues and best practices to achieve equitable and just parks that are inclusive of diverse communities. Check out the premiere season of this podcast to hear six conversations discussing parks and how they increase justice, diversity, inclusion, and equity!